EOTO Technology - Instagram

 Through the EOTO Technology presentations I learned a great amount about Instagram and how it came to be. Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger came up with the idea of Instagram and initially called in Burbn. After they started to critique the app and try to make it more unique than others, they decided on making the app more focused on photo-sharing. They pinpointed the goal on likes, editing, and sharing of the pictures that people would be posting.  On October 6, 2010 Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger released Instagram to the public and people initially were attracted to the idea.

 Since Instagram became so popular it is clear that there would be an impact from the app. The major impacts of the app could be considered body issues, beauty standards, and the encouragement of travel, these being positive or negative. As far as body issues go, young girls and boys, and honestly anyone, may see a photo of an influencer on Instagram and instantly compare themselves. This also ties into the idea of beauty standards. Influencers use a lot of filters or even editing apps to make themselves look beyond attractive, but in reality, it is not what they look like. This idea creates an unrealistic beauty standard that the viewers on Instagram are now looking into. The two major problems with Instagram both go back to the same concept of normal people comparing themselves to unrealistic standards and making themselves feel bad. On the flip side the most positive impact from Instagram is the encouragement of traveling. When viewers see influencers travel to an intriguing place, it encourages them to travel to that same place. 

Although Instagram is still a recent released use of communication it has had major impacts on our society. These impacts include both positive and negative. The social media is based around “photo-sharing” and continues to thrive off that same concept today in 2023.